Author: KYMA

Manoah Tuiasosopo

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – A resource fair is happening in Yuma to support Veterans and active-duty service members by connecting them with essential services and local programs.

The event is part of the Be Connected Initiative hosted by the Arizona Coalition for Military Families, a statewide effort focused on building a strong network of support for military members, Veterans, and their families.

Attendees will receive training, tools, and continued support to assist others in need.

The event takes place this Friday at the Arizona Department of Economic Security on East Palo Verde Street in Yuma.

It runs from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and it’s free to attend. To register, click here.

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Dillon Fuhrman

EL CENTRO, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) – El Centro Library says their 2025 Summer Reading Program drew more than 43,000 people, reaching full capacity.

“This summer’s success is a direct result of listening to our community and the dedication of our incredible staff,” said Library Director Carla Mason. “We asked residents what they wanted to see, and our team worked tirelessly to bring those ideas to life. The result was packed programs, high energy, and a stronger connection between the Library and the people we serve.”

The library says this was due in part to the El Centro community providing recommendations “via a resident survey in 2024.”

Courtesy: City of El Centro

Courtesy: City of El Centro

“Our Library has once again shown what’s possible when a city listens to its residents and delivers programs that inspire and connect,” said Mayor Sonia Carter. “I’m especially proud of the Library staff for the outstanding job they did in bringing these ideas to life and making this year’s Summer Reading Program such a success for our community.”

Several entertainers, such as Wild Wonders, Lion Dancers and a magician, participated in the program, with the El Centro Fire Department hosting a obstacle course.

To learn more about this, read the press release, written in English and Spanish, below.

SRP2025PREngDownload

SRP2025PRSpaDownload

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Madeline Murray

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – Yuma Fire Department (YFD) has implemented a new station alert system.

According to a post on Facebook, the new system, unveiled back in June, will help dispatcher provide uninterrupted pre-arrival instructions to callers, while at the same time alerting the crew.

YFD shared that this new system will help decrease response time by 20 to 30 seconds.

Francisco Leon, Public Information Officer for YFD, said, “Phoenix G-2 is an innovative station alert system that streamlines the process from the time they, a responsible party calls 911 to the time first responders arrive on scene.”

This system allows for the dispatcher to continue to speak to the caller without pauses while simultaneously informing the crew the details of the call.

The automative system alerts YFD and gives them the information that the dispatcher used to.

“So they could get instructions such as perform CPR, remove the patient, put the patient on a hard surface, flip them on their back, instructions that would before be delayed because the dispatcher would have to put the person on hold,” says Leon.

We spoke to YFD about why every second saved counts.

YFD Fire Chief Dustin Fields says, “Brain death occurs about four minute, four to six minutes. The faster we can get people out the door, the better instructions we can give to the customer, doing CPR and other things. I don’t want the customer to be without information or people not getting there any quicker, this enhances that.”

Not only is the system essential for the safety of the caller, but also the crew.

“Health and wellness is a big thing for us, and we’re trying to reduce that unnecessary of alerting of people, when they don’t need to be alerted,” says Chief Fields.

YFD says they are always ready to improve and innovate to better serve locals.

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Jalen Fong

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – Melissa Hull, a local author, talked about a book signing she’ll be having this week for her new book, “Dear Drew: Creating a Life Bigger Than Grief.”

According to Hull, the book chronicles her life after she lost her son in May of 2000.

“So, it’s been a 25-year journey that I’ve been on, and during that time I’ve had to learn how to live alongside my grief,” Hull shared.

While she said she sought out traditional therapy and religious pastors and spiritual leaders, Hull said there was something missing and “couldn’t find it.”

“So, ‘Dear Drew’ [is a guidebook]. It’s all of my best practices, all of the teachings and the learning that I have. Gone through over this 25-year journey in one book, [it’s] one resource for people so that they can feel supported, they can feel seen, they can feel guided, and then ultimately inspired to create a life that is bigger than the grief they carry.”

Melissa Hull

When asked what the central core message for her readers in how to deal with the initial grief of losing a child, Hull said:

“I believe fully that grief is not a problem that needs to be solved. It is an experience that we need to grow through. I believe that love will always outlast life and and so with that in mind, I wanted to create a book that allowed people to look at grief as more of an opportunity for expansion, for more of the opportunities to hold on and to retain the love. They shared with their loved one even after their loss. So this book is really about how to go about learning to coincide with pain and purpose, love and life. It’s about how to continue on in honor of our loved ones and not leaving them behind, but to still create a life of beauty and fulfillment for ourselves instead of instead of being limited to the pain that we feel from the loss.”

Hull is holding a book signing at Barnes and Noble, located at 819 W. 32nd Street, Tuesday from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

She also offers free resources on her website, which you can find HERE.

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Paul Vozzella

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – The Children’s Museum of Yuma County has a brand new addition that has kids crawling with joy.

The new “Be the Bug” section, fundraised through Fort Yuma Rotary, gives children a safe, air-conditioned space to let out their energy.

After over a year of raising money through several events and donations from businesses and community members, Fort Yuma Rotary was able to see the project come to fruition.

“We really wanna see our community grow. We really wanna give children an opportunity to have a safe space to play, and we’re very proud of the work that we do everyday to give this back to the community,” said Juan Guzman, former President of Fort Yuma Rotary.

According to Fort Yuma Rotary, they raised $100,000 to fund the project.

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Paul Vozzella

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – Law enforcement were seen in front of a home Wednesday afternoon.

Police were first seen in the area of E. 24th Lane and Union Drive, near Gila Ridge High School.

Reports say a person was barricaded inside their home with police pointing their weapons towards it.

A SWAT team arrived shortly before 7:20 p.m.

This is an ongoing story and we will provide updates as we receive more information.

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Paul Vozzella

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – A tense barricade situation on the corner of Union Drive and 24th Lane came to an end after more than four hours, resulting in the arrest of a 33-year-old man now facing multiple domestic violence charges.

Nathan Daniel Newman was taken into custody after the Yuma Police Department (YPD) had a warrant out for his arrest following five charges from July. Officers eventually used explosives to breach entry points to the home where Newman had barricaded himself.

“[An officer] saw him go into [the residence], surrounded it, did call outs — everything we could to try to get him out,” said Sgt. Lori Franklin, Public Information Officer for YPD. “[The] S.E.T. team did what S.E.T. teams do. He was eventually taken into custody without any issues.”

The standoff drew a growing crowd of family members, friends, and neighbors, many of whom watched from behind police tape, anxiously awaiting the outcome.

“It’s hard to watch any family go through that, any person go through that, so watching the family behind the caution tape was difficult to watch, for sure,” said neighbor Vanessa Morales.

The large law enforcement presence added to the tension in the neighborhood. Despite the intensity, Morales said police handled the situation with care.

“There’s always concern when it comes to that many police officers,” she said. “But they handled it really well. Even though they were out here for quite a bit of time, I wasn’t too worried about the kids.”

His bond has been set at $10,000, and his next court hearing is scheduled for August 18.

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Marcos Icahuate

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – A local organization will be hosting a fundraiser for support groups.

The Tortas for Transformation event is where locals can buy a sandwich meal for $10.

The event is planned to be held on August 22 at Fellowship Hall (1000 E 24th St).

A torta meal will include the torta itself, chips, japalenos and a coke.

Tickets can be purchased at the front desk.

Deliver is also available for those who order 10 or more tortas.

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Madeline Murray

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – The Greater Yuma Port Authority (GYPA) is working on some big changes to boost border economy.

GYPA wants to make crossing the border faster, help trade grow, and expand trade opportunities.

Tony Reyes, Yuma County Supervisor District 4, said, “In reality all of Arizona, all of Yuma is impacted by trade, trade with Mexico, Mexico is one of our biggest trading partners, the impact of that trade is felt a lot more in San Luis, but it’s felt in all of Yuma County.”

At a public meeting they discussed multiple initiatives to the Board of Supervisors.

Those include a proposed truck by-pass route, upgraded port technology, and a plan to be financially independent from the government.

The port technology upgrade would cost $240,000 and wound be funded by the Arizona Department of Transportation.

It’s also the first time in years they have been able to waive member contributions.

We spoke to Tony Reyes on the importance of these updates.

“Economic development, it’s one of those, it’s not really impacted as much by immigration as it is by trade, and trade is what we are trying to emphasize, and that’s why the Greater Yuma Port Authority is doing right now, bringing out those issues that people don’t talk about, don’t care about,” said Reyes.

The Port Authority meets monthly and welcomes public input.

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Madeline Murray

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – School Resource Officers (SRO) play a vital role in maintaining safety on campus and while they say the first week went well, they do have some concerns.

Cassandra Reed, an SRO, said, “We do ask that any parents and anyone that comes onto our school campus, that they are patient, follow the laws, it’s 25 mile per hour in pretty much most areas, if it’s not down to 15.”

Traffic around school zones is their number one issue with parents dropping off and picking up their kids.

Not only do school resource officers keep school campuses safe, they also serve as mentors to the students.

“The School Resource Officers, each of them are assigned to a specific school, and their just, their main purpose is to provide safety and security to the school campus, but not only that their role as a guide, i guess like a counsellor, provide guidance to the young kids,” said Hayato Johnson, Public Information officer for the Yuma Police Department.

I asked SRO Reed what it means to her to be a protector of our schools.

“I do absolutely enjoy my job. I enjoy coming to work everyday, talking to our students and our staff, building those positive relationships,” said Reed.

She explained how important her role is in creating a positive environment for students.

Reed emphasizes the importance of SROs on campus by saying, “Oh my goodness, I think it’s super important to have SROs in the schools. We defiantly implement a positive role model and I think that kind if closes the gap between schools and the community.”

Another reminder from SROs is to always be visual around school campuses, especially during drop off and pick up times, as children can dart out from almost anywhere.

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